The World is Ahead
by Mignun
Summary: Rewrite of 'Trust Me.' After Hermione's untimely death, Aulë decides that it would be best to turn her into a dwarf. Placed in the care of Bofur, what Aulë didn't expect was his first and only magical child to go on a quest to reclaim Erebor. On hiatus.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**: As promised, this is the new and improved version of 'Trust Me.' It has taken me a week to write this, and this is just the prologue. As for my personal life, it's getting better. My dad is healing, and drama is my house is diminishing. As for me, I feel okay despite reversing into someone else's car. Yikes. So I'm stuck home while my car is in the auto body shop. Gives me more time to write, eh? Well, as usual, please read and review. Whether it's positive or negative, I don't mind. Alerts are fantastic. Have a happy New Year!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything. If I did, many things would be different in the books and movies.

* * *

**Prologue**

Hermione found a dagger protruding from her chest, and the first to act had been Harry. Cradling his friend in his arms, Harry had been the one to demand for some dittany to save his dying friend. As quickly as he could, Ron opened Hermione's beaded bag and used 'Accio' to find the vial, unstoppering it when he clutched it with shaky hands. With bloodied hands, Harry pulled the dagger out from her chest, eliciting a cry from her lips. He had been quick with the dropper, but the wound between her breasts didn't heal. Instead, black blood poured from the opened wound.

She succumbed to death moments later.

Rewinding his footage, Aulë viewed Bellatrix Lestrange dipping the dagger into a vial of poison during the duel between her and Hermione's boys. Fast forwarding, the Vala peered closer to his pool of reflection, trying to see why the intended Dobby did not receive the dagger to the chest instead. Pausing at the right moment, he saw the creature move slightly to the right, allowing the dagger to pierce the flesh of the young witch. Why there was that little movement was beyond Aulë's understanding, but he knew what needed to be done.

While he hadn't been the first Vala to do such a thing, Hermione would be his first magical child.

Within moments he proceeded the first steps in bringing Hermione into his world. It consisted of him using his own brand of magic to pull her soul from her body, a feat he knew that would take a lot of skill. With her soul came her magic and memories. With a thoughtful expression on his face, Aulë decided to close off her memories, believing that it would be best for Gandalf or Saruman to unlock them.

'_Yes_,' he thought, '_it would be best for everyone_.'

With her soul, magic, and mind literally in a jar on his desk (a wisp of pink swirling against the glass), Aulë went to his work station and began to craft her a body. It had been a small body, a body of a toddler, perfect for her to grow up in. It had the same genetics she had in her old world. She would have the same bushy hair, curious brown eyes, and even small birthmarks she had littered on her body.

'_Just in dwarf form_,' Aulë mused, crafting the last mole on her leg. With a smile, the Vala almost skipped to his desk to fetch the jar. Opening it up, he caught the wisp of pink with one hand, all while holding the fragile body in another. Placing the body carefully down on his desk, Aulë slammed the hand with the wisp down onto the body. A bolt of lightening shot out from the body, and Aulë brought a hand up to shield his eyes from the light.

Once the light faded, he was greeted with a very inquisitive toddler. Large doe eyes stared up at him in awe, a thumb placed in her mouth. With joy, Aulë picked the child up and began to spin her around the room.

He did it. He created a magical child!

Next came the planning. Who was going to take care of the child? Settling the child against his hip, Aulë went back to his pool of reflection and began to plot. Obviously he was going to give the child to one of the Maiar, Gandalf of Saruman, to deliver her to a worthy dwarf. Going between different mountains and plains, Aulë sifted through dwarf after dwarf, trying to figure out who would take care of her. Dáin from the Iron Hills was out of the question, as he had his own son to raise. Thorin Oakenshield, while a worthy leader, had his own rambunctious nephews to deal with.

Remaining in the Blue Mountains, Aulë came upon an unusually cheery fellow. A dwarf named Bofur caught his attention. Single and without children (a tragedy, his wife died a few years prior), he was completely content with the world. A miner by day and a toy maker by night, Bofur lived reasonably with money for another mouth to feed. Children flocked to him, whether it be his storytelling or toys or even cheery demeanor.

Aulë made his decision.

"I have found you a father, mimze," he told the toddler. Hermione glanced up at him before sticking her hands into the pool, giggling madly when the pretty picture with the handsome fellow began to move. "Yes, that's your adad."

"Adad!" she squealed in delight.

All that remained was finding out which wizard to trust her with. Using the last of his magic, Aulë decided to send her to Isengard, believing that it would be best for the wizards to figure out who to choose.


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** I'm so embarrassed! I spelled it as Äule instead of Aulë! I went back to fix the wrong spelling, but I so thought it was spelled the first way. Whoops. Thank goodness of Google, or else I would have continued to write it that way! On another note, thank you all so much for the responses and alerts. It means so much that people are reading and caring about this story. Hopefully you enjoy what I'm going to write. As for the guests, man do you have good questions! You've given me some good ideas to work with. Thank you so much for the questions, all of you. As usual, please read and review. It means a lot when I get reviews and alerts. Oh, if you like this story, you can see me randomly give out information and snippets of the story on my Tumblr, **brockenborings**.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. If I did, it would be Äule instead of Aulë. Still can't believe I got that wrong! So embarrassed.

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**Chapter One**

It was decided that Hermione would stay in Valinor for a few years before her departure for Isengard. During that time she learned many things from the Valar. Yavanna, Oromë, and Tulkas had been the primary three that visited Aulë's quarters to teach the young child their ways of life. She might had been a toddler that quickly grew into a child, but (through the Valars' magic) she would be able to retain all information given to her.

Yavanna taught Hermione how to make the world a better place through greenery. The Valier brought Hermione to her pastures many times during the years, teaching her about different plants, trees, and flowers. There Hermione learned how to garden properly, what herbs to use in potions, and what plants were deadly. She even learned much about hobbits, strange little creatures that enjoyed gardening, good food, and ale.

_"I'm glad you call her your daughter," Aulë commented one evening when the two came back from a long day at the pasture._

_"Of course, my dear," Yavanna replied, hoisting the tired child onto her hip. "She will always be my child."_

_"She'll be popular amongst the hobbits," the Vala joked, capturing Yavanna's lips with his own. Hermione made a gagging noise and looked away._

Oromë had been the one to teach Hermione how to hunt, giving her a little toy bow and arrow as a gift. The problem was that Hermione had poor aim, and no matter what Oromë did or how long he waited, nothing would help the child hit her target. So, like any good uncle figure would do, Oromë decided to teach her how to wield a sword. Thankfully it had been a wooden sword, as she managed to almost poke her eyes out numerous times handling it.

_"I'm not good at this," Hermione would cry after she stabbed herself in the arm. While it was her weapon arm, she still managed to poke herself with the sword._

_"It's okay, little one," Oromë replied, taking out a basic healing salve, perfect for young children with their scraps and bruises._

After a while, Oromë decided to go to Aulë for help.

_"She'll get better. Try an axe," Aulë recommended. Once switching out the sword for an axe, Hermione's stance suddenly became better. The axe didn't seem to swing into her face as the sword did. At Oromë's questioning as to why an axe would work better, Aulë boasted, "I'm the one who created her, so of course an axe would work better in her tiny hands!"_

Besides how to wield an axe, Oromë taught the young growing child how to hunt and how to take care of horses. He put knowledge into her mind about traps and snares, which animals had the best meat on their bones, and where in Middle Earth were the best places to hunt. As for horses and ponies, he taught her how to handle and soothe them. Hermione's brain, like a sponge, soaked in all the information for future reference.

_"Now, don't ever spook the ponies," he told her as he brushed the mare's back. Hermione mimicked on her own pony, Bunny. "That's it, just keep brushing like that. She'll get used to you in no time."_

Tulkas had been the one to train her better in the battle department. While Oromë had been the one to originally train Hermione with her axe, once Tulkas showed up, he bestowed all his knowledge of war in the now child's mind. While he kept the bloody part of war out of her mind - for she was too young - he instilled strategic methods into her. He also taught her hand-to-hand combat, as that was his weapon of choice.

_"Don't be afraid to fight dirty," he told her one her. He had her in a light headlock, interested in seeing what she would do. "Kick me, bite me, do anything to get out of a headlock. Pretend I'm an Orc or a bully."_

_Hermione rightly bit his arm, causing him to back away. "There's my girl!"_

There was one Valier, however, who wasn't pleased.

_Yavanna once voiced her opinion that Hermione would grow up to be a lady, but Tulkas snorted, "If she's anything like Aulë's other children, she'll want to fight."_

_"She may be Aulë's blood, but she is also my daughter. I believe her calm disposition will be present throughout her whole life," the Valier replied stiffly. Aulë, however, chuckled deeply._

_"We will see how she fares, Yavanna, but what Tulkas says is true. She is of dwarven blood; she will wish to fight with her fellow peers. What is wrong with that?"_

_Yavanna shook her head. "I wish for her to be simple and good natured."_

_"She will be!" Oromë piped up, present for Hermione in hand. "If anything she'll apologize after defeating them!"_

_Yavanna rolled her eyes as the Valar cheered. Leave it to the men to think like that._

When it was time to leave, Hermione never felt so ready for something before in her life. She knew growing up that she was destined to go to the Blue Mountains to live with a kind dwarf named Bofur. Her mother had told her many times growing up that she would be fine on the other side of the world, that she and Aulë would always be looking over her. That comforted the child, making her realize at a young age that her parents would never leave her.

"Leaving so soon?" her father asked the morning she was supposed to leave. Hermione had her pack ready filled with all the presents she received from her uncles, books from her mother, and crafted weapons from her father. The thirty year old dwarf nodded, tears in her eyes. "Ah, don't be upset, mimze. You're not really leaving us."

"Do I have to go?" It came out more of a squeak as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Maybe she wasn't so ready after all. "They don't need me. I can live here forever."

"Your purpose is within Arda, nithîth," Aulë said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Sniffling, Hermione glanced up at her father. "Look at me, mimze. You will be forever loved by your mother and me, just remember that. Also remember that your new caretaker will love you very much. He'll dote on you every second of every day. Bofur is a good dwarf, and you will love him like you love me."

After no response from his child, Aulë bent down and scooped her up, eliciting a squeal from her lips. "Now, promise that you will be good to Olórin and Curumo, and especially good to Bofur."

"Okay," Hermione giggled, wiggling away from her father's grasp. "I'm always good, though."

"Yes, you are," Aulë agreed, inclining his head. "Just make sure you don't change when you're over there, alright? I'd hate to see you turn evil."

"Never evil," Hermione stated. "I won't ever be bad."

"Make good choices."

"Very good choices."

"Fall in love with the right dwarf..."

"Eww."

"...or hobbit if you wish."

"Still gross."

Aulë chuckled. "You won't be saying that when you're older."

"I don't want to grow up," Hermione whined into his shoulder. "I want to stay here."

Her father sighed and readjusted her position on his hip so that they were eye to eye. "You will be back, I'll make sure of it. You just need to grow up over there instead of here. You were designed to live amongst the living, not silly old gods and Elves."

"Okay," Hermione finally relented with a sniffle. "Let's go."

* * *

Hermione soon found out that she didn't care that much for Saruman after she got to know him. He was quite surly in his demeanor and acted as if he had a 'stick up his arse' (a phrase she heard Tulkas use a lot). Gandalf was definitely the nicer one out of the two and was known for his fireworks by the hobbits. How she found that out was through Yavanna.

_"He's a disturber of peace, but all the hobbits secretly love him."_

Gandalf was a nice wizard who seemed a lot cheerier than Saruman. While Saruman gave her a room to stay in, he acted as if she wasn't there. It was up to Gandalf to start her training as a witch.

"Now," the Grey Wizard said one evening, "I will be teaching you something completely new. Before you left, your mother and father crafted a wand for you to use instead of a staff. They placed it within Saruman's care, as they trusted us more with your magical abilities."

Completely in joy, Hermione ran over to the wizard and stretched out her hand, ready for her new weapon. When the wand touched her skin, she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her body. With frightened eyes, she looked up at Gandalf for an explanation. The wizard merely chuckled before explaining, "I guess I should have warned you. The wand chooses the witch, Miss Granger."

Miss Granger? Why did that sound so familiar?

"Now, it's time for a little lesson," Gandalf began, sitting down at the table. He motioned for Hermione to do the same. Once the child sat down, said, "I need to use magic on you, requested by your mother and father. While they never told you this story, it was for the best. You see, you're a witch, but a witch from another world."

"What?" Hermione asked, confused. Surely something was wrong with the wizard's head. Surely her parents would have explained that to her before.

"Yes, it is quite a shock, but not uncommon. You see, witches and wizards from a different world have a chance to join Middle Earth after they...well...die," he said gravely, and Hermione's mouth dropped. "There have been few, but there have been enough. You need to have an untimely death to be worthy to be saved by the Valar, usually one who takes immediate interest in you. Aulë had been the one to capture your attack and chose you to be his first magic child.

"You are special, Hermione, as you are the first magical dwarf," Gandalf continued. "This is a lot to take in, I understand; however, there is much more information. Aulë thought it would be best to lock your memories until you were old enough to view them. I will proceed to unlock some now if you wish to see that I'm telling the truth."

Hermione allowed him to perform whatever magic was needed to see what he was talking about. After casting a few spells aloud, Gandalf lightly rapt his staff against her head. Immediately the magic took its effect, sending Hermione spiraling into darkness.

When she came to, she realized that she was in a boat with three other children. All of them had a look of awe on their faces, and once Hermione turned around, she understood why. There stood a massive castle settled on a rocky island, a beautiful architecture that she had only seen in books.

Suddenly it jumped to where she sat on a stood, a hat placed over her head.

"Gryffindor!"

Jumping again, the magic showed her the daily life she once lead the beginning of her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Being bullied by the other students, being at the top of the class in every subject, the troll incident...

She remembered.

Hermione Jean Granger had once been her name. Her parents' names had been Adam and Margaret Granger, both dentists and at the top of their field. At a young age she had been able to perform magic, whether it be making books float to her or turning invisible to hide from her taunting peers.

Though, she couldn't remember further than her first year for some reason, though she had a very strong love towards Harry and the Weasleys. Her heart ached as she realized that she wasn't with them anymore, her friends...her true family.

Once Gandalf's magic was over, she hugged the Grey Wizard with a soft, "Thank you."

All that was left was the journey to the Blue Mountains. Hermione felt confident that she would survive the hectic trip. After all, she had a wizard in her company.


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note:** First of all, WOW! Thank you so much for the responses. It means a lot to me that people are reading this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Second, if you noticed, I've changed the pairing because certain reviewers had made me think long and hard about who Hermione is going to end up with. Now, it won't change the overall story. I'm looking towards a Kíli/Hermione/Fíli pairing or just something else that is up my sleeve. Hopefully that won't deter any of you from reading! It's just something I'm playing around with. As usual, please read and review. Your insight means a lot to me! Third, I'm not really proud of this chapter, as you'll see why. I've been working on it for a while, and this is the best I can come up with.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. If I did, the books would be different.

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**Chapter Two**

She had been thirty-one when she finally entered the Blue Mountains, spending her birthday on the road with Gandalf. The two had passed many interesting places during their travels. Rivendell had been their first stop, after their harrowing adventure in Eregion. Lord Elrond had been most kind, taking in the weary travelers who had accidentally ran into some menacing wood trolls. Gandalf had decided to stay a week in Rivendell, much to Hermione's relief. The young dwarf spent most of her time exploring the vast town, squealing in glee when she found the library. Meanwhile, Gandalf explained to Lord Elrond Hermione's current predicament.

_"So she's the newest magical child," Elrond had eventually said when Gandalf finished his spiel. The Grey Wizard nodded before taking a sip of his tea. "Most unusual that Aulë found her. Tell me, did he explain how he found her?"_

_"He simply found her first," Gandalf stated when he heard a squeal of delight off in the distance. He smiled warmly; Hermione had found something new that piqued her interest._

_Elrond, however, frowned. "She is definitely a bright little witch. If only she had been found by Oromë..."_

_"Then she would have been brought here instead of Ered Luin," Gandalf supplied, understanding Elrond's insinuations. "Alas, she is not an Elf but a dwarf. Fits her perfectly as she is a stubborn little thing with a heart of gold. She is a perfect addition to the race."_

After their stay in Rivendell, the two continued their traveling. Trollshaws had been easy to navigate through; no trolls came down from the Ettenmoors to prevent them from crossing.

As Gandalf navigated the carriage they were using, Hermione proceeded to practice the spells she learned from her unlocked memories. They had been simple spells, ones a young witch could do while sitting. Many times she had levitated the reigns in Gandalf's hands just to prove that she could perform something. Her favorite spell, however, had to be '_Avis_,' as she greatly enjoyed the little yellow birds that sprouted from her wand.

The next place they stopped was the Forksaken Inn in the Lone-lands. Gandalf had known the owner very well, asking for two rooms for the night. Hermione became in awe as the owner described the hardships the Eglain, the people of the Lone-lands. He described, much to the chagrin of Gandalf, the problem they had with the dead in Garth Agarwen, the goblin problem near Weathertop, and the troll infestation in Harloeg. Hermione, the fiery little dwarf she was, promised that she would be able to stop the problems the Eglain had.

_"That's okay," the owner had said with a sad smile on his face. "It would take years to rid the land of the evils that inhabit it. You shouldn't worry your little head about our problems."_

_"But..."_

_Gandalf, however, pulled her away. "That's enough, Hermione."_

After the Lone-lands, they were finally within Bree territory. In Bree they spent a good few days stocking up on provisions before their trek out to the Shire. Hermione enjoyed Bree a lot, sneaking away from Gandalf whenever she could so she could play with the children that were close to her age. Many of children had gaped at the sight of the young dwarf, but none of them turned her away. Hermione had been grateful; she had an talk with Gandalf about how some Men didn't enjoy the presence of dwarves.

_"Are Men always that rude?" Hermione wondered after the explanation. Gandalf chuckled into cup of tea._

_"Men just have a different view of the world than Elves," he calmly explained, patting her knee. "There is nothing to worry about, dear Hermione. You will see how dwarves view the world, then you will have something to complain about. Stubborn lot, they are. They see everyone else to be untrustworthy."_

The Shire had been next on their stop, and Hermione enjoyed the land much better than Rivendell. Everything was just so small and cute, and everything was in her size! Hobbit children, however, were curious about her when she pulled up to Hobbiton with Gandalf. Many of the hobbit parents pulled their children away, claiming Hermione to be unnatural. All but one hobbit in particular pulled her child away, a hobbit female by the name of Belladonna Baggins.

_"Gandalf!" she cried when she saw him. She had been carrying a young hobbit boy with a massive amount of curls atop of his head._

_"Bella," Gandalf greeted, bending down to give her a hug. Hermione, meanwhile, rocked on the balls on her feet, not sure what to do. Many of the hobbits were staring at them, mainly in disgust. The children, however, loudly demanded fireworks from the Grey Wizard._

_"Who is this?" Bella asked, crouching down to Hermione's level. Gandalf placed a reassuring hand on Hermione's shoulder, steadying the awkward feeling lass._

_"This here is Hermione, a dear friend of mine. We're on the way to the Blue Mountains to deliver her to her father," Gandalf explained quietly. Bella nodded, readjusting the toddler on her hip. "My, who is this little one? You didn't have him the last time I visited."_

_Bella giggled. "That was six years ago. This here is Bilbo. Say hello, Bilbo."_

_"'ello," the child greeted, burying his ruddy face into his mother's curls._

_"This is Gandalf and Hermione," Bella proceeded to say, pointing to each individual._

From Hermione's persistence, the two stayed in Hobbiton for two whole weeks before they picked up again for the Blue Mountains. Hermione finally understood why Yavanna loved the hobbits so much; they were the epitome of the Valier. They enjoyed farming and gardening, always out and about planting something. They also enjoyed a good party. Five had occurred during their stay there, both being invited because of Gandalf's fireworks. Hermione had learned a few hobbit dances from the local children (after their parents allowed them to play with her).

Finally, after two glorious weeks in the Shire, Gandalf and Hermione left for the Blue Mountains. Their journey had even fine, despite Gandalf's worry of meeting filthy brigands or annoyed Dourhands on the road. Hermione, however, wasn't concerned. Both were able to take on pathetic bad guys if needed. She had seen Gandalf in battle with the wood trolls months before, so she figured brigands weren't that big of a deal. At least they couldn't trap you with their roots!

Hermione reflected her journey all while Gandalf explained to Bofur her story. So far she had enjoyed Middle Earth, despite the vast differences between her old realm and the new one. She missed Harry and Ron greatly, as well as her real parents. With a sigh, Hermione turned her attention back to the situation at hand. Bofur remained eerily still as Gandalf continued on and on about Hermione's past.

_At the end of his story, Gandalf patted the dwarf on the knee. "Did you catch all that, Master Dwarf?"_

_"She's a legend," was the only response that came from Bofur's lips. With a dry chuckle, he exclaimed, "I have a bloody legend in my house!"_

_"Now Bofur, it's not that big of a deal," Gandalf said, but Bofur wouldn't listen._

_"Why would Aluë choose me out of all the dwarves in the world to take care of her? I never question my Maker, but I need to know, Gandalf. Why me?" Bofur asked, confusion littered on his face._

_"Because he spotted you out of all the dwarves in the world," Gandalf explained, wishing that the dwarf would calm down. With a forced laugh, Bofur stood up from his chair and moved over to the mantle, leaning against it for support. Gandalf, however, tried to soothe the situation. "I know this is a lot to take in, but if you don't wish to raise Hermione..."_

_Bofur startled. "I never said I didn't want to raise her! I just...you hear about those being reborn into Elves, but dwarves? This is a lot to take on, Mister Gandalf."_

_Hermione, however, stood up from her seat and cautiously walked over to the shaken dwarf. "Is it really that big of deal? Amad and Adad never mentioned you would react like this."_

_"I'm sorry, little one," Bofur said, crouching down to her level. Hermione peered into dark eyes, void of any joy. Confusion, instead, reflected back. "It's not every day a dwarf is offered to raise a little witch as his own."_

_"Though, do you want to raise me?" Hermione asked, hope littered in her tiny voice._

_"Of course I do!" Bofur exclaimed. "It'll just take some getting used to. I'm not used to a little one running around, nevertheless one who can perform magic."_

So it was settled. After the initial shock was over, Bofur would raise Hermione as his own, magic or not. Hermione entered his home with just the small pack filled with many different items. Many of times Bofur found his daughter with her nose in a book, and one time he asked if he could see what she was reading.

_"Can you read Valarin?" Hermione asked, despite knowing the answer. Bofur's face fell for a moment before his eyes widened from shock._

_"You can read their language?"_

_"I can speak it as well," she replied smartly._

_"My goodness," Bofur said in awe. "Can you speak Elvish?"_

_"A bit," Hermione replied sheepishly. "Adad wasn't that impressed when Amad started teaching me Sindarin and Quenya."_

_"Yes, our young Hermione knows a lot," Gandalf stated while smoking his pipe. The Grey Wizard was relaxed in the corner of the room, closest to the fireplace. "She was taught by Aulë, Yavanna, Oromë, and Tulkas, as you remember. She will be the brightest dwarf you will ever meet, possibly the smartest individual you will meet in your lifetime, sans me," Gandalf said with a wink. Hermione giggled to herself as she flipped to the next page in her book. Bofur, however, reminded in awe._

_"I'll have the smartest child around," he eventually exclaimed, "And there's nothing anyone can do about it. I'll show Nori up, that's for sure."_

Gandalf eventually left, leaving the father-daughter duo alone. Hermione, it seemed, was very good with her magic, using it to clean up the house whenever it was a mess. Whenever Bofur needed something, whether it be a sock or a block of wood, Hermione would conjure the item up and hand it to him. Bofur, needless to say, quickly got used to having a magical child around.


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note:** Umm, wow! Thanks so much for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I don't know if you saw, but I started another story that I quickly deleted. In the future I'm going to write it. A story about Twilight's Garrett with either Ginny or Hermione. I blame Lee Pace because hot damn, he was sexy in that movie. He's my new celebrity crush. Sorry Aidan and Dean. Lol. As usual, please read, review, alert, and favorite this story! It'll mean the world to me if you do. Still never expected the hits I've been receiving. Oh, and I changed a bit of the last chapter after Elizabeth made some fine points. I thought long and hard and decided to change it. Also a warning, this is a short chapter. I somewhat had run out of things to write about, and I don't want to write the smut yet (saving that for the journey). Consider this the last chapter before the journey begins.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. If I did, things would be changed in all books.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Hermione's first friend came in the form of a little scribe by the name of Ori. The two had similar personalities; they were both shy around others, loved to read, and enjoyed writing. Bofur had introduced them because he was friendly with Ori's older brothers, Dori and Nori. While Nori hadn't been around when the introductions occurred, Dori had been. The older dwarf thought Hermione to be a good friend to his littlest brother, a good influence on his budding mind. At least, Dori found her much better than the two little Durin terrors from Ori's schooling. Fíli and Kíli unnerved Dori to the point where he purposely ignored Dís' offers for play dates, making Ori play with Hermione instead.

Ori liked Hermione very much, finding her intelligent and kind. He secretly preferred spending time with her than with Fíli and Kíli, finding them being too rambunctious for his liking. The two brothers were a bit rough on him, getting him into wrestling and swordplay. Ori didn't like it. He was a shy soul who preferred books and quills. Hermione was almost a godsend to the young scribe.

Because of their close friendship, Ori had been the first to find out about Hermione's powers. At first the budding scribe had been shocked, unable to find the words to describe his emotions. Hermione had just made his favorite quill float in front of his face with an odd stick.

_"You're a witch?" he squeaked, snatching his quill out of the air._

_"Is that wrong?" she asked, crestfallen. Ori pondered for a moment, remembering things he heard about witches and wizards. Suddenly Gandalf's showing up had made sense. The Grey Wizard had visited Hermione on many different occasions, and he brought fireworks with him. Ori liked him very much._

_Finally, Ori replied, "I'm not sure. You're still Hermione, right?"_

_Perhaps witches weren't evil. Hermione was far from evil, he thought as tears formed in her eyes. "I don't mean to make you cry! I just...this is strange!"_

_"You don't want to be my friend anymore," Hermione stated sadly. Ori shook his head._

_"Far from it. I'm just confused. Why is it a secret?"_

It was then Hermione told him the long story about her other life as Hermione Jean Granger from a strange place called England. Ori, in complete awe and quill in hand, decided to write down all the knowledge she had about her old life. Suddenly Gandalf being in Ered Luin made sense. He needed to restore her old memories, and Ori became sad. Would Hermione still be the same after all memories were restored? Would she still want to be friends with him?

Hermione reassured Ori that she would always be friends with him.

Her next friend came as a shock, coming in the form of tiny Gimli. Apparently Glóin's young son found the witch to be very interesting, considering that she didn't have a mummy and her Da wasn't her real daddy. Hermione hadn't been insulted when he said that, instead forming a strong friendship with him. He had followed her everywhere like a puppy, something that annoyed his older cousins.

Fíli and Kíli didn't like Hermione at first. They thought that she was breaking up old friendships and decided to make her life a living hell. Fíli had been the brains of the operation, having his little brother carry out plans that would ultimately fail somehow. What they didn't know was that Hermione anticipated their plans and sought to end them. That bucket above the door filled with mud? Hermione managed to convince Kíli with magic to walk under it instead, much to Fíli's chagrin. Stolen merchandise managed to find its way into Fíli's pockets? Hermione used magic to move the object there.

A truce was grudgingly made when parents got involved. Dís and Thorin had been very disappointed in their boys, treating Hermione the way they did. While Hermione wasn't perfect either, she promised her Da (and eventually Ori) that she would stop using magic against them.

As she got older, romance was in the air for young Hermione. Her beard had been coming along nicely even though her hair remained as unmanageable as ever. Young dwarves flocked to her and other girls her age, wishing to court them. Even Ori had been on that list. Their romance only lasted a few months, after Ori was brave enough to kiss her. He found out that he didn't enjoy it, deciding to remain friends. Hermione felt the same, as if she was kissing her brother.

Other suitors came to Bofur, asking for her hand in marriage. He refused every dwarf, even young Fíli and Kíli who weren't even of age.

"Didn't you use to hate her?" Bofur asked Kíli one afternoon when the young dwarf came to give Hermione some flowers. Kíli stuttered, unable to find the words. "That's what I thought," Bofur said, slamming the door in Kíli's face.

Hermione, all the while, found it to be pure insanity. Boys back in her old world didn't give her as much attention as the boys did in the Blue Mountains. It was a new feeling to be wanted, and Hermione didn't even know which boy to try to court. Her Da seemed to hate each boy that asked for her hand, including Fíli and Kíli. Gimli was still too young, and the only one her Da liked was Ori. That relationship didn't work out, much to Bofur's disappointment.

Everything changed when Fíli and Kíli cornered her on her 65th birthday. The three had been alone in the forest, Fíli and Kíli promising to show her a beautiful river. Thinking it to be completely innocent, Bofur allowed his daughter to go off with the brothers. Ori, however, had declined to join after Fíli sent him a heated glare.

It started out normally as a picnic between the three. It wasn't until Fíli leaned into kiss her did she understand their plan. With a gasp, Hermione pulled away before Fíli's lips were upon her own.

"What on earth are you doing?" she demanded, cheeks turning red. She failed to notice Kíli kneeling closely behind her sitting body. His hands were on the ground on either side of her body. She squealed when he rested his chin on her shoulder, mouth slightly nipping at her neck. She slapped him away. "Stop it! Both of you! What is wrong with you?"

Fíli purred, "It's simple, Hermione. We've both wanted you for a long time."

Her eyes widened considerably as Kíli began kissing her neck. Things began clicking in her mind as Fíli leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

"W-Wait!" she exclaimed, pushing Fíli away. The older brother growled as Kíli chuckled deeply into her neck. "I can't court the both of you. I can't have both."

"We both decided to share you," Kíli explained, pulling her between his legs.

"Share me? Are you mad?"

"Possibly, but we've discussed it," Fíli said. With hooded eyes, the oldest Durin prince looked up at her with a sly grin on his face. "You're ours, Hermione, and no one else's."

"I - why me? Out of all the girls in Ered Luin, you want me?" she asked, confusion littered on her face.

"Of course!" Kíli barked with laughter. "You're simply amazing, Hermione. We've liked your company for a long time."

"So, what do you say?" Fíli wondered, blue eyes sparkling with hope. Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Yes."


End file.
